MATERIAL FROM A BULK BAG

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

|0001] The present application claims priority of U.S. provisional application Serial

No. 61/257,287 filed November 2, 2009, and hereby incorporates the same provisional application by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to bulk bags having a gate valve assembly.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Conventional bulk bags are used to facilitate transportation, storage and dispensation of various bulk materials such as, for example, powdered or granular flux material for use in a submerged arc welding process or other welding processes.

SUMMARY

[0004] The invention provides a bulk bag and a method for dispensing bulk material from a bulk bag.

In accordance with an embodiment, a bulk bag is configured for storing and

dispensing bulk material. The bulk bag comprises shell means, Lifting means, and valve means. The shell means defines a storage chamber and an aperture in communication with the storage chamber. The storage chamber is configured to retain bulk material The Lifting means facilitates lifting of the bulk bag. The valve means is slidable with respect to the aperture and defines a first opening having a generally triangular shape. The valve means is

CONFIRMATION COPY configured to selectively facilitate retention of bulk material within the storage chamber. The valve means is also configured to selectively facilitate controlled dispensation of bulk material from the storage chamber and sequentially through the aperture and the first opening.

In accordance with a further embodiment, a bulk bag includes a shell and a gate valve assembly and is configured to retain a material. The gate valve assembly includes a gate which is slidably to selectively prevent and facilitate variation of rate of dispensation of material from the bulk bag and, more particularly, through an aperture defined by the shell of the bulk bag.

Generally, the gate valve assembly has a configuration which, during movement of the gate to restrict dispensation of material through the aperture in the shell, renders the gate unlikely to snag with other portions of the bulk bag such as, for example, portions of the shell which define the aperture.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] It is believed that certain embodiments will be better understood from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a bottom side perspective view depicting a bulk bag having a gate valve assembly in accordance with one embodiment, wherein a portion of a shell of the bulk bag is broken away lo depict bulk material within a storage chamber defined by the shell, and wherein a gate of the gate valve assembly is in a first position to prevent the bulk material from dispensing from the bulk bag;

[0007] FIG. 2 is a bottom side perspective view depicting the bulk bag of FIG. 1 _, wherein the gate is in a second position to facilitate flow of the bulk material from within the storage chamber at a relatively low rate;

[0008] FIG. 3 is a bottom side perspective view depicting the bulk bag of FIG. 1, wherein the gate is in a third position to facilitate flow of the bulk material from within the storage chamber at a relatively high rate;

[0009] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along section lines 4-4 in FIG. 1; [0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view depicting the gate apart from the remaining components of the bulk bag of FIG. 1;

[0011] FIG, 6 is a top perspective fragmentary view depicting a portion of the bulk bag of FIG. 1, wherein the gate is in the first position, and wherein certain hidden lines are shown in phantom; [0012] FIG. 7 is a top perspective fragmentary view depicting a portion of the bulk bag of FIG. 1, wherein the gate is in the second position, and wherein certain hidden lines are shown in phantom;

[0013] FIG. 8 is a top perspective fragmentary view depicting a portion of the bulk bag of FIG. 1, wherein the gate is in a fourth position, and wherein certain hidden lines are shown in phantom;

[0014] FIG. 9 is a top perspective fragmentary view depicting a portion of the bulk bag of FIG. 1, wherein the gate is in the third position, and wherein certain hidden lines are shown in phantom;

[0015] FIG. 10A is a perspective view depicting a gate in accordance with a second embodiment;

[0016] FIG. 10B is a perspective view depicting a gate in accordance with a third embodiment;

[0017] FIG. IOC is a perspective view depicting a gate in accordance with a fourth embodiment; and [0018] FIG. 10D is a perspective view depicting a gate in accordance with a fifth embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019J Selected embodiments are hereinafter described in detail in connection with the views and examples of FIGS. 1-9 and 10A-10D. A bulk bag can be used to facilitate transportation, storage and dispensation of various bulk materials such as, for example, powdered or granular flux material for use in a submerged are welding process or other welding processes. For example, a bulk bag 10 in accordance with one embodiment is shown and described herein in connection with FIGS. 1-9. The bulk bag 10 is shown to comprise a shell 12 which defines a storage chamber (shown generally as 15 in FIG. 1). The storage chamber 15 is shown in FIG. 1 to retain a bulk material 98 such as can be, for example, powdered or granular flux material for use in a submerged are welding process or other welding processes. The shell 12 can be flexible and can comprise a material such as cloth, plastic sheeting, and/or any of a variety of other suitable materials which are of sufficient density and strength to retain the bulk material 98 within the storage chamber 15.

[0020] The shell 12 can include one or more support straps and/or other

reinforcement features (e.g., 17 in FIG. 1) that can provide structural support to the shell 12 and/or can facilitate maintenance of the shell 12 in a particular shape. It will be appreciated that a shell of a bulk bag can be provided in any of a variety of other suitable shapes and sizes, and can be provided with any of a variety of additional or alternative reinforcement features. The shell 12 can be sewn or stitched together and/or can involve adhesives, rivets,

snaps, heat seals, and/or any of a variety of other suitable features or mechanical fastening arrangements.

[0021] The bulk bag 10 can also include lifting members which are attached to the shell 12 to facilitate lifting of the bulk bag 10. For example, the bulk bag 10 is shown to include to comprise a plurality of loops 14 which can be used by a crane or hoist to facilitate lifting of the bulk bag 10 for transportation or to facilitate dispensation of the bulk material 98, such as flux, from the bulk bag 10. It will be appreciated that lifting members of a bulk bag can alternatively comprise hooks, apertures, or any of a variety of other suitable features.

[0022] The bulk bag 10 can also include a gate valve assembly as generally shown at 16. A bottom wall 25 of the shell 12 is shown to define an aperture 13 (see FIGS. 4 and 6-9). The aperture 13 can be provided in communication with the storage chamber 15. The bulk material 98 within the storage chamber 15 can selectively dispense through the aperture 13 as controlled by the gate valve assembly 16. More particularly, as described in further detail below, the gate valve assembly 16 can selectively facilitate retention of the bulk material 98 within the storage chamber 15, and provide controlled dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15 and through the aperture 13.

[0023] The gate valve assembly 16 can include a retention member 18 and a gate 20.

The retention member 18 can be fixedly attached to the bottom wall 25 of the shell 12 such as through sewing, adhesives, rivets, snaps, heat seals, and/or any of a variety of other suitable features or mechanical fastening arrangements. In one embodiment, the retention member 18 can comprise a material similar to that of the shell 12. For example, the shell 12 and the retention member 18 can be formed from cloth, plastic sheeting, or some other suitable flexible material. In another embodiment, a retention member of a bulk bag can comprise a different material than the material(s) which defines a shell of the bulk bag.

[0024] When the retention member 18 is attached to the shell 12 as shown in FIGS. 1-

4 and 6-9, the retention member 18 can cooperate with the shell 12 to define a channel (50 in FIG. 4). At least, a portion of the gate 20 can be slidably received within the channel 50, as described in further detail below. The retention member 18 can define an aperture 19 which substantially aligns with the aperture 13 in the shell 12 and, in certain positions of the gate 20, communicates with the aperture 13 to facilitate dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15. In one embodiment, the apertures 13 and 19 can be similar in size and shape.

[0025] In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the retention member 18 can include a spacer portion 30 and a wall portion 32 which are each attached to the shell 12 with thread (e.g., 34). Each of the spacer portion 30, the wall portion 32, and the shell 12 can cooperate to define the channel 50 for slidably receiving the gate 20. It will be appreciated that, in alter- native embodiments (e.g. _; as generally shown in FIGS. 6-9), the retention member 18 can include a spacer portion and a wall portion which are formed as a unitary structure. It will be appreciated that a retention member can be provided and attached to a shell in any of a variety of suitable configurations. In another embodiment, a retention member can be formed as a unitary structure with one or more portions of a shell. [0026] The gate 20 can be slideable relative to the retention member 18 and the opening 13 between one or more closed positions and one or more opened positions. In the closed position, the gate 20 can prevent dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15 through the aperture 13 in the shell 12. In an opened position, the gate 20 can facilitate flow or dispensation of the bulk material 98 sequentially through the aperture 13 in the shell 12, an opening (e.g., 24 or 26) in the gate 20, and the aperture 19 in the retention member 18. In one embodiment, the gate 20 can he slidable with respect to the retention member 18 and the aperture 13 to facilitate an infinitely variable rate of flow or dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15. However, in another embodiment, a gate can be slidable among a plurality of preset positions or stops, each of which corresponds to a particular flow rate. Depending upon the position of the gate 20 relative to the retention member 18 and the shell 12, the bulk material 98 within the storage chamber 15 can be prevented from being dispensed from the storage chamber 15, or can be dispensed or poured from the storage chamber 15 at any of a variety of selectable rates of dispensation.

[0027] The gate 20 can be formed from plastic, wood, metal, and/or any of a variety of other suitable material. In one embodiment such as shown in FIG. 5, the gate 20 can be formed as a unitary and substantially rigid structure. It will be appreciated, however, that a gate can be formed in any of a variety of other suitable configurations. The gate 20 is shown in FIG. 5 to comprise a body 22 in the form of a generally rectangularly-shaped plate and which extends along a longitudinal axis "L" between respective ends 21 and 23. The longitudinal axis "L" can centrally bisect the gate 20 such that the gate 20 is generally symmetrical on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis "L", as shown in FIG, 5.

[0028] The body 22 is shown to define respective openings 24 and 26 adjacent to respective ends 21 and 23 of the body 22. Each of the openings 24 and 26 is shown to have a generally triangular shape. More particularly, in defining the opening 24, the body 22 is shown to include edges 44, 46, and 48 which cooperate to define a generally triangular shape having vertices 54, 56, and 58. The edge 44 is shown to be generally straight and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis "L". The edge 44 is also shown to be adjacent to the end 21 of the body 22. The edges 46 and 48 are shown to be generally straight and to extend from opposite ends of the edge 44 (located at vertices 54 and 58), and at opposite inclines relative to the longitudinal axis "L", for meeting at the vertex 56. The vertex 56 is shown to be located upon the longitudinal axis "L between the edge 44 and the end 23 of the body 22. The opening 24 is shown to extend from an inside end 40 to an outside end 42. The inside end 40 of the opening 24 can be defined by the vertex 56, while the outside end 42 can be defined by the edge 44. The body 22 is shown to define the opening 26 to have a configuration similar to that of the opening 24, such that the apertures 24 and 26 are similar in size and shape, but such that the opening 26 is in a mirrored position in the body 22 relative to the opening 24. More particularly, the opening 26 is shown to have a generally triangular shape similar to that of the opening 24. In other embodiments, a gate can be provided with only a single generally triangularly-shaped opening, or with more than two generally triangularly-shaped openings, and in either circumstance possibly in addition to openings having other shapes. [0029] It will be appreciated that generally triangularly-shaped openings in a body of a gate can be provided in any of a variety of other suitable configurations, such as shown in FIGS, 10A-10D. FIG. 10A illustrates a gate 220 having a body 222 which defines openings 224 and 226; FIG. 10B illustrates a gate 320 having a body 322 which defines openings 324 and 326; FIG. IOC illustrates a gate 420 having a body 422 which defines openings 424 and 426; and FIG. 10D illustrates a gate 520 having a body 522 which defines openings 524 and 526. It will also be appreciated that an outer edge which partially defines a generally triangularly-shaped opening in a gate might not be generally straight (like edge 44 in FIG. 5), but might rather he curved, corrugated, wavy and/or having a recess, or otherwise shaped to facilitate comfortable grasping of the gate by a band of an operator, such as exemplarily shown in FIGS. 10B and IOC. It will further be appreciated that one or more vertices defining a generally triangularly-shaped opening in a gate might not be rounded or curved (like vertices 54, 56 and 58.in FIG. 5), but might rather be pointed, such as shown in FIG. 10A. It will additionally be appreciated that a generally triangularly-shaped opening might not be defined by only three edges (like edges 44, 46, and 48 in FIG. 5), but might rather be defined by more than three edges, such as shown in FIG. 10D.

[0030] In Order to facilitate sliding of the gate 20 with respect to the retention member

18 and the aperture 13, an operator can push or pull on the gate 20 by grasping a portion of the gate 20 which defines one of the openings 24 and 26. The gate 20 is shown in a first or closed position in each of FIGS. 1 and 6. In the closed position, the gate 20 prevents dis- pensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15 through the aperture 13 in the shell 12. When an operator desires to dispense the bulk material 98 from the bulk bag 10, the operator can attach a crane to loops 14 of the bulk bag 10 and can use the crane to lift the bulk bag 10. An operator can then grasp the gate 20, such as by placing his or her fingers through the opening 24 in the gate 20, and can partially withdraw the gate 20 from the channel 50, resulting in movement of the gate 20 to a second position as generally shown in FIGS. 2 and 7. In this second position, a portion of the opening 26 in the gate 20 can align with the aperture 13 in the shell 12 and the aperture 19 in the retention member 18 such that the bulk material 98 from within the storage chamber 15 can be dispensed through the aperture 13, the opening 26 _r and the aperture 19. In this position, it can be seen that only a small portion of the opening 26 aligns with the apertures 13 and 19, and that a portion of the body 22 partially obstructs the apertures 13 and 19, thus allowing the bulk material 98 to flow from within the storage chamber 15 at a relatively low and controlled rate. It will be appreciated that when sliding the gate 20 to facilitate initial dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15, a vertex (e.g., similar to 56 of opening 24) of the opening 26 is the first portion of the opening 26 to align with the apertures 13 and 19.

[0031] Upon further withdraw of the gate 20 front the channel 50, as generally shown in FIG. 8, a larger portion of the opening 26 aligns with the apertures 13 and 19, such that a smaller portion of the body 22 partially obstructs the apertures 13 and 19, thus allowing the bulk material 98 to flow from within the storage chamber 15 at a relatively higher rate than would be achieved in the configuration of FIG. 7. Upon still further withdraw of the gate 20 from the channel 50, as generally shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, a stilt larger portion of the opening 26 can align with the apertures 13 and 19, thus allowing the bulk material 98 to flow from within the storage chamber 15 at a still relatively higher rate than would be achieved in the configuration of FIG. 8, or at a maximum possible rate. In one embodiment, the opening 26 can be steed such that no portion of the body 22 obstructs any portion of either of the apertures 13 and 19 when the body 22 facilitates dispensation at a maximum possible rate (e.g., a portion of the opening 26 is larger than each of the apertures 13 and 19, as shown in FIG. 9). In an alternative embodiment, the opening 26 can be sized such that, even when the body 22 facilitates dispensation at a maximum possible rate, a portion of the body 22 can obstruct respective portions of the apertures 13 and 19 (e.g., no portion of the opening 26 is larger than either of the apertures 13 and 19).

[0032] Accordingly, by sliding the gate 20 into and out from the channel 50, it will be appreciated that an operator can selectively adjust or stop the rate of flow of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15 in a controlled manner. In contrast to grasping the body 22 at the opening 24 as described above to facilitate movement of the gate 20 and selective dispensation of the bulk material 98 through the opening 26 in the gate 20 and from the storage chamber 15, an operator can alternatively grasp the body 22 at the opening 26 to fa- cilitate movement of the gate 20 and selective dispensation of the bulk material 98 through the opening 24 in the gate 20 and from the storage chamber 15. In this configuration, it will be appreciated that each of the openings 24 and 26 in the gate 20 can selectively and alternatively serve as a handle and a regulator to facilitate dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15. [0033] It will be appreciated that the generally triangular shape of the openings 24 and 26 in the gate 20 can facilitate convenient, efficient, and effective selective dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the bulk bag 20. In the example described above with reference to FIGS, 1-9, the generally triangular shape of the openings 24 and 26 facilitate a progressively increasing dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15 as the gate 20 is further withdrawn from the channel 50. Likewise, the generally triangular shape of the openings 24 and 26 facilitates a progressively decreasing dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15 as the gate 20 is returned into the channel 50. Accordingly, due to the generally triangular shape of the openings 24 and 26, it will be appreciated that linear sliding movement of the gate 20 can facilitate non-linear ,(e.g., exponential) increase or decrease in flow of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15. When the gate 20 is in a slightly withdrawn position as shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the portion of the opening 26 (i.e., adjacent to its inner vertex similar to vertex 56 of opening 24) allowing the bulk material 98 to pass through the apertures 13 and 19 can be relatively small as compared to the size of the apertures 13 and 19. Therefore, from that position, further insertion of the gate 20 into the channel 50 to completely block the dispensation of the bulk material 98 from the storage chamber 15 (i.e., to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 6) can require only a small amount of force upon the gate 20 by an operator, and any likelihood of jamming resulting from flowing of the bulk material 98 or snagging of the shell 12 or retention member 18 with the edges (e.g., like edges 44, 46, and 48 which define the opening 24) of the gate 20 can be minimized.

[0034] The foregoing description of embodiments and examples of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the forms described. Numerous modifications are possible in light of the abave teachings. Some of those modifications have been discussed and others will be understood by those skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best illustrate the principles of the invention and various embodiments as are suited to the particular use contemplated. The scope of the invention is, of course, not limited to the examples or embodiments set forth herein, but can be employed in any number of applications and equivalent devices by those of ordinary stall in the art. Rather it is hereby intended the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto.

Reference numbers:

10 bulk bag 220 gate

12 shell 222 body

13 aperture 224 opening

14 loops 226 opening

15 storage chamber 320 gate

16 gate valve assembly 322 body

18 retention member 324 opening

19 aperture 326 opening

20 gate 420 gate

21 end 422 body

22 body 424 opening

23 end 426 opening

24 opening 520 gate

26 opening 522 body

25 bottom wall 524 opening

30 spacer portion 526 opening

32 wall portion

40 inside end longitudinal axis

42 outside end

44 edge

46 edge

48 edge

50 channel

54 vertex

56 vertex

58 vertex

98 bulk material